Ariadne Tales: CotBP
by Leah The Mermaid
Summary: A haunting past and incredible secret had persueded Ariadne to supress her quirky spirit and lock away her loving heart. But, when a good deed lands her aboard the Dauntless, she is unable to resist the sudden rush of friendship she thought she had sworn off. What will follow? (Disclaimer: I do not own PotC)
1. Chapter 1

_"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me…"_

A child's voice echoed down from the deck of a ship, into the shimmering sea it sailed on. A smile flitted across Ari's lips as she swam, unbeknownst to those onboard, in the water below. The young girl aboard had a nice voice: high, sweet, and obviously not in full comprehension of the lyrics it wove. As the salty ocean mist swirled around her and captivated her senses, Ari tried to remember a time when she herself had dared to sing such dangerous words so ignorantly. She soon gave up, it had been more years than many would guess. Besides, she needed to return her focus to the reason she was there.

A boy, not more than twelve or thirteen, lay unconscious atop a scrap of wood, from a demolished ship by the looks of it .Ari pushed the boy gently, trying to get him within eyesight of someone onboard without being glimpsed herself. The young woman glanced at the coin strung around his neck - Aztec perhaps - and wondered what his story could possibly be. His clothes were torn and singed and filthy. No one else had been spotted near him. Ari gently grabbed his wrist to make sure his pulse was still there, stroking his wet hair in an almost older-sisterly way as she whisper-sang a comforting song. It didn't matter whether he could hear her or not.

At last, she heard sharp cries of surprise from the deck and men barking orders. Ari ducked beneath a wave and watched the wood leave the water as the boy was hauled aboard, mentally saying a prayer of thanks. About to swim away unnoticed, something crashed into the water.

Or, rather, someone.

A man in a black wig and the garb of someone important sank slowly, flailing his arms and legs to little success. Without hesitation, the Ari dove down quickly and grabbed the man's arms, and began to propel them towards the surface. She silently marveled at how few could swim. _Ah, but who am I to judge? _She thought to herself. _It's not fair to hold normal people to my standards. _

Ari wasn't conceited. Her feat of strength was made considerably easier by the fact that she had some distinct abnormalities.

The twosome broke the surface, the man gasping for breath and his rescuer pretending to do so. Ari felt his incredulous stare.

"There 'e is! Lieutenant Norrington! Who's that with 'im?"

"Don't just gawk at them, you goons! Lower the rope ladder!

The men spoke with an English cockney dialect, one voice younger and surprised, and the other gruff and bold, clearly meaning to be obeyed.

As Ari pulled the lieutenant to the ladder, she began to do some very quick thinking. She needed a logical explanation as to why as to why she was drifting so far from the coast now that she had been spotted.

As the man - Norrington, had they called him? - clung to the rope to stay afloat, he gestured for Ari to go up first. A gentleman, even after a near-death experience.

The rope ladder was a nightmare. Desperately trying how to work her legs, the shaky girl wobbled dangerously on every rung.

In a tangle of arms and words and coats from kind strangers, the bedraggled twosome somehow made it on board.

As Ari sat clutching a crewman's old rum-smelling coat around her, she tried to look inconspicuous as she did some very quick thinking. She was no doubt about to be asked why she was swimming alone so far from any coast. And how she had been able to rescue a man heavier than she from drowning. Painfully aware of the scrutinizing glances from everyone on the ship, Ari sat down hard and leaned her back against the rail. She closed her eyes, turned her face to the sun, and let the familiar rock of the ocean comfort her. She prayed for the boy and this Norrington to be safe, she hadn't seen either since being pulled aboard.

"Elizabeth, stop goggling her. It isn't polite." The hushed voice of a man interrupted Ari's thoughts. When she opened her eyes she saw a girl, about the age of the floating boy, was being told off by a bewigged fellow. Her father, judging by their similarities. They were both finely dressed and spoke with a more distinguished English than the sailors.

Ari gave a cautious wave and smile. With still-wobbly legs, she managed to stand and approach the two. "Excuse me, sir?" She asked the father. "My name is Ariadne Staraway. Might I inquire as to where I am?"

It felt strange being so collected and formal when she looked like such a mess. Ari's long brown hair was tangled and wet. Water droplets clung to the long, dark lashes that surrounded her green eyes, green eyes that were even larger than usual in alarm. She wore (besides the borrowed coat) a teal tunic and brown belt. Both were tattered and filthy.

"You are aboard the _HMS Dauntless_. I am Governor Weatherby Swann, and this is my daughter, Elizabeth. We are on course to arrive at Port Royal in a few days. Are you quite alright?" Swann responded in a friendly, yet somewhat nervous and awkward, manner. Ari really couldn't blame him for being reluctant to trust a bonkers 17-year-old who came out of nowhere.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you. Is everyone else…?"

"All safe, I assure you. The child is breathing just fine. In fact, I think Elizabeth ought to go watch over him now." Swann gave his daughter a gentle nudge towards the sleeping boy. Elizabeth obeyed, waving shyly to Ari as she left. Swann continued. "Lieutenant Norrington fell overboard as he was hauling the wood up. I've just spoken to him, a few minutes ago, and he is just fine. Obviously, he would like to meet you." He pointed her in the direction of the soggy lieutenant and left, seeking a word with the captain.

Norrington had extricated himself from most of the concerned crew and was now speaking to a stout sailor as Ari walked unsteadily towards the two men.

"Forgive me, Lieutenant, but it's frightful bad luck to have a woman aboard. It's bad enough we've already got the miniature one." The sailor was saying.

"Enough, Mr. Gibbs. That young lady saved my life. Are you suggesting we toss her to the sharks?"

"She ain't normal, sir. Who in the name of Blackbeard's boots swims in these waters and happens across a drowning…"

They saw Ari approaching at the same time. As if on cue, her bare foot caught on a loose plank and she nearly slipped to the floor. As her face came in very close proximity to the dirty wood, Ari felt strong hands steady her gently. Lieutenant Norrington righted her, then offered her his arm and made to lead her away.

"Mr. Gibbs, surely the captain wouldn't mind if I borrowed his office for a moment or two?" He asked Gibbs pointedly, clearly closing their previous argument. Gibbs muttered something about asking the captain, and stole a suspicious glare at Ari as he hastened away.

Being led to a set of fancy carved doors, Ari managed to get a good look at Norrington. He couldn't be much older than she was (or looked, at least) with handsome features and kind eyes. Kind, but not short on courage or experience, Ari decided.

The captain's office was small and stuffy, but filled with marvelous sketches and maps and books that whispered Ari's name. She became s instantly absorbed that she jumped a little when Norrington spoke to her.

"Don't believe we've formally met. Lieutenant James Norrington. Would you care for a cup of tea, Miss…?"

"Staraway. Ariadne Staraway. And yes, that would be lovely. Thank you"

"What a beautiful name. As in, a goddess and princess of the sea in Greek mythology? It means 'intelligent beauty,' correct?" Norrington asked, handing Ari her tea.

Impressive.

"Yes, sir" Ari answered softly, accepting a warm mug and staring at the floor.

"Please, call me James. Are you okay?"

Ari looked up into his eyes. This lieutenant she had barely met was willing to throw formality to the wind. He sounded so genuinely concerned about her well-being that it made her suddenly want to weep with gratitude. To be honest. To say no, she was most certainly not okay. She had not been okay for a very long time. Throat too tight for words, Ari nodded. _Crazy old bat!_ She scolded herself. She was always more on top of things and spunky, what was wrong with her?

"Dare I ask what you were doing deep in the Atlantic Ocean with no boat?" James asked.

"Swimming…" Ari offered vaguely.

And rescuing careless lieutenants, apparently. I owe my life to you, Miss Staraway." He suddenly looked her straight in the eye. "Thank you."

There was a brief pause.

"You owe me nothing, James. That was just a bit of a detour. And call me Ariadne. Or Ari. Or anything really, just not 'Miss Staraway'." She smiled then, her first real smile since being aboard the _Dauntless_. James hesitated only a moment before smiling back.

Ari's smile became a grin. Her grin became laughter. Eventually, her laughter became words. But first she totally cracked up for little apparent reason, feeling her worries float away with the fresh sea breeze. Then she began to tell James about her life, her passions, her home – a tiny island called Poseidon. James smiled amusedly at her laughing fit, and then listened to her story (which, though it pained her to lie, she had left quite a bit out of).

When the captain needed his office back, James offered Ari his arm and escorted her around the _Dauntless_, introducing her to everyone onboard. Each had a story to tell, and was delighted to find Ari a perfect listener; she laughed and gasped at all the right parts. James couldn't help smiling as he watched her recall a few of her own tales. She seemed to sparkle as she waved her hands dramatically and performed hilarious impressions of pirates, teachers, and nobles. It was obvious that captivating an audience was an art.

They boy found floating, they discovered, had come to and was now standing awkwardly with the exact expression Ari had worn a few hours ago. Alarm, caution, and deep thought. His name was Will, but he said little more than that. If Will was like Ari, then young Elizabeth was his James. The two were instantaneous friends, and Ari's couldn't help thinking what a lovely couple they might make someday.

As evening fell, Ari realized she had little chance of being able to sleep soundly on a strangle ship full of relatively unfamiliar people. She had seen too much for that. Instead she sat cross-legged on the deserted deck, clearing her mind and treasuring the last rays of a magnificent sunset.

"You needn't leave." Ari said suddenly, without turning around.

James Norrington froze, midway through a hasty retreat from the deck. He was having second thoughts about acting on an uncharacteristically bold impulse to join her. His wig and hat were gone, revealing his hair to be a nice shade of brown. "If you would forgive me, Miss Sta – Ariadne. I didn't mean to intrude upon you and your thoughts."

Ari swiveled around to face him. "I was not pondering anything of great consequence." She said. Then, hesitantly, she added, "I apologize if this is, perhaps, less than proper, but I would not at all mind some company. I see you don't look much sleepier that I." She tentatively offered.

"I see no reason why not. It is a gorgeous night for stargazing, isn't it?" James took a seat beside Ari, taking care not to sit close enough to make her uncomfortable. Not that it was a remotely romantic moment. On the contrary, Ari felt a little as though she had found a long-lost brother. They actually looked a bit alike, with their straight brown hair and eyes the exact same shade of green: the hopeful light emerald of the sea just after a storm, when a few of the dark clouds begin to clear, and what might be the first ray of hopeful sun shines through. An ocean that is no longer deadly black, but not quite back to blue either. At that last thought, Ari realized that she was no longer simply describing eye color.

"James?" She asked abruptly as a thought that had pestered her surfaced again.

"Yes?"

"Why am I the only person on this ship who calls you 'James'? There are men here who seem to have known you for years, and they address you as 'Lieutenant.' I've known you for about eight hours. Yet, here we are: on a first-name basis, gazing at the stars together like old friends."

James frowned slightly, but in concentration, not displeasure at Ari's frank question. He seemed to be asking himself the same thing. Finally, he spoke. "I don't pretend to be a wordsmith, so goodness knows how much sense this will make. But right then, as you stood in that office looking bedraggled, wet, and maybe even a little scared, you looked as though you had quite enough to worry about without the addition of formalities and titles. And… you looked as though you might use a friend."

James looked up at Ari, but averted his eyes again when she met his gaze. After an excruciatingly awkward pause, Ari piped up.

"Are you offering to be my friend?"

The slightest shimmer of almost desperate hope was evident behind the mischievous edge in her voice.

"Would it be too forward to say yes?" James asked.

"Not at all, I assure you." Ari said, biting back a laugh of relief and delight.

"Then, yes. Very much, yes. Excellent." James replied, returning her genuine smile. He allowed a sweet few seconds of silence, then stood and helped Ari to her feet. "You really ought to get some sleep…Ari. I set up a makeshift bed for you in a storage area. Not the most glamorous or comfortable, but I thought you'd prefer it to a hammock with the crew."

"Thank you, that sounds wonderful." Ari meant it. She kept her voice calm, but it really was touching that he had thought of her. And that he had called her Ari. She didn't say more, but she knew James heard the thanks that ran deeper than a cot in a supply closet. She was thanking him for letting her go up the rope ladder to safety first, for defending her to Gibbs, for the tea, for the introductions, for the friendship she had never dared to hope for.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Eight years have passed since the last chapter. Ari has become best friend, practically sister, to James, and is friendly with Will and the Swanns. She now spends most of her time in Port Royal. But she still has told no one ****_everything._**** Hope you guys like it! **

A soft knock on the door echoed around James Norrington's study.

"Come in." James said, standing to greet whoever had come to call. It wasn't an ideal time for last-minute meetings or unwanted visitors; he was only hours away from his ceremony of promotion to Commodore Norrington. The beautiful, smiling young woman who entered was certainly not what he was expecting, but this was a surprise he wouldn't have traded for the world.

"For the love of William Shakespeare, James! I leave for ten minutes and you're a commodore. Must I curtsy every time I speak to you now?" She teased, her green eyes glowing with pride.

"Ari!" James laughed. He rushed across the room to embrace her like a sister, feeling her give a small, contented sigh in his arms before they parted. As casual as Ari played it, she had obviously missed him." If you've not noticed, it's been nearly ten _months_, not minutes. And I fear that if you curtsy, the hem will lift slightly, and everyone will see your lack of footwear. "

"You know me too well, James." Ari said, pulling back her dress just enough to reveal indeed bare toes. Ariadne Staraway was not one to wear shoes unless absolutely necessary.

The two old friends sat together on the ancient sofa in the corner of the study. "Nice hat." Ari commented, nodding to the great feather-plumed thing on James' head.

"It feels a bit ridiculous, to be perfectly honest. You, on the other hand, look stunning." He replied. Ari waved away the compliment, but blushed nonetheless. Her long brown hair fell loose around her makeup-free face, topped with a pearl-encrusted headband. Her ocean-blue dress was not low-cut or corseted, as was quite popular. Instead it was light, with a translucent layer on top that erased the seam from the bodice into the just-poofy-enough skirt. Everything, including her skin, seemed to emit a faint sparkly aura. James was struck by a ridiculous, poetic thought: _if the sea was a woman, this is what she would look like_.

"So, how was your missionary work? Your mother and sister? Your home? Your letters are far too brief." James said.

"All wonderful! Well, actually, my mom and I…at least we didn't actually argue. There just weren't a lot of words." Ari began, her Flashback Frown appearing. That was what James always called the face Ari made whenever she said something that usually drifted off vaguely, the face that almost made James think there was more she wanted to say but couldn't. He never asked more, not when she had come out of her mysterious shell so much since they met. "But the trip! Oh, it was incredible, James. I met Mr. Phillip Swift; he is such an inspiration to me. And I already miss all of the children I met! But don't try to distract me from what you know I must ask." Ari's tone turned suddenly mock-accusatory before it acquired a bubbly, eager edge. "Have you proposed to Elizabeth yet?"

James turned slightly red at that. "I – not…not yet – but, er…." He stammered, knowing there was no chance of hiding what was meant to be a secret from his best friend.

"It's today, isn't it?! You're going to sweep her off her feet at the promotion ceremony!" Ari cried, giving a little bounce of delight that caused the old sofa to creak. Regaining her composure, she sighed happily. "I'm _so _happy for you, James. Elizabeth is a fine woman and a good friend."

"You act as though she's already accepted." James said quietly. He bent his head to stare at his hands. As his heart sunk, he wished Elizabeth Swann were an easier woman to predict.

Still looking pointedly at his own two, James watched a third hand, a girl's, enter his frame of vision. Ari slipped her fingers through his in a sweet, sisterly gesture. A little of the stress and worry that clung to the air ebbed away.

"If she says no, she's an idiot." Ari stated flatly. "But, for once, why not just cross that bridge when you get to it? Bask in the glory of your success, Commodore Norrington. This entire ceremony is for your promotion, remember?" A little Flashback Frown glinted in her eyes when she added one last thought. "Besides, in my _almost_ complete lack of personal experience, love isn't perfectly easy and without risk."

Ari was then rewarded with what she could only call a "James" smile. Brief, subtle, and gentle. Besides those of children, there wasn't a smile in the entire world that Ari loved more.

Commodore Norrington's promotion ceremony was long and hot and boring. Ari's small entertainment was watching pompous women in corsets and layered skirts swelter. Except Elizabeth, whom she took pity on and offered her fan to. After all, they were practically future sister-in-laws, if one considered James' best friend like a sister.

Both young women stood in the very front, which was most unfortunately in direct sunlight. All of Port Royal felt singed, like ants under a magnifying glass. The humidity smothered and weakened Ari, even with her lighter gown and fondness of sun. It did little to improve her already impatient nature as they waited for James to make his grand entrance.

"I don't care _what_ Londoners are saying, this corset is ghastly!" Elizabeth murmured to Ari.

"I've got a knife in my bodice, and I'd be happy to cut it of for you. Honestly, these trends will be the death of you Brits!" Ari joked back under her breath. Elizabeth laughed, mostly because she knew from years of friendship that there really was a blade hidden somewhere in the flowing fabric of Ari's dress. Things like this (as well as her knack for self-defense and battle-strategic mind that was handy in chess) made one wonder about Ari.

The two quieted as the ceremony proceeded, James looking especially impressive as he walked beneath the raised swords of other officers. _That's my best friend!_ Ari was tempted to whisper to everyone as the commodore strode past.

After the outdoor formalities were over and done with, guests were mercifully allowed to offer congratulations and polite small talk in the shade of an indoor ballroom. Musicians struck up a sweet melody, and several couples began to dance.

Ari sat alone at a table in the corner, the violins and piano and flutes flooding her system pleasantly. She knew James would find her there, when he was done having his hand shaken by strangers that only came to prove they were important enough to be invited.

Sure enough, the now Commodore Norrington approached Ari's little corner, politely ending a conversation with Governor Swann.

"May I have this dance, fair lady?" He teased.

"It would be a pleasure and an honor, Commodore Norrington, sir." Ari stood. She performed a deep, dramatic curtsy before allowing James to take her waist and hand and twirl her out to the center of the room. She loved dancing with James; it reminded her of waltzes with her father around the living room when she was a child.

"I certainly hope this won't hurt your chances with Elizabeth." Ari said as they glided gracefully around the floor for a while.

"Oh, she knows you are a friend, not a lover. But speaking of…" James trailed off as his eyes flitted to the Swanns. Ari instantly got the message and released his hand and shoulder.

"Go!" She laughed, giving him a good-natured shove in Elizabeth's direction. "Fort! Very alone and romantic and stuff! Oh, don't worry about me." She assured him, seeing his concerned glance at having spent so little time with her after being apart for so long. "I'm going to see if the musicians will let me tickle the ivories a bit."

After a few songs, Ari decided to brave the scorching heat and step outside to stare out at the ocean. She gracefully took a seat near the bottom of the Fort Charles staircase.

Knowing that James was just up those stairs with Elizabeth, Ari wasn't sure what she should hope for. James was her best friend; she obviously wanted him to be happy. But there was a persistent whisper somewhere deep in her heart that insisted Elizabeth and Will Turner (who had taken a job as a blacksmith) were in love, whether they knew it yet or not. _Just because you read way too many romance novels does not make this any of your business,_ Ari reminded herself sharply.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a rush of fear when she heard a sound of pure, contagious panic. The yell of "ELIZABETH!" in a voice that was no doubt belonging to James made Ari's bones turn to ice, even in the heat of the day.

Men in uniforms of various ranks rushed around her, not stopping to mention what on earth was happening. Maybe they didn't know themselves, nothing more than hungry ants unaware of what they were swarming. Words Ari couldn't quite catch smothered her in a claustrophobic fog.

James came tearing down the stairs from the top area of Fort Charles –_ without Elizabeth_. He wore a mask of calm determination, but the panic in his eyes was unmistakable. As he shoved through crowds, he caught Ari's eye. They shared one of their almost telepathic moments that came from years of close friendship.

_James? What's happening?_

_ I can't explain right now, Ariadne. But I need you to follow me._

The instant James reached Ari, he wordlessly grabbed her wrist and pulled her along with him toward the dock. They flew through the streets, barely aware of the entourage following.

Ari suddenly stopped cold. She nodded for James to hurry on, but she had seen someone pull Elizabeth from the sea and onto the dock. Someone she hadn't seen in years. Someone who she couldn't face just yet, even with James by her side.

Captain Jack Sparrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while. I smushed a few scenes together, but they're interrelated so there ;). Sorry if it gets kinda depressing. Jojo, (you know who you are) this is for you because you said James was too perfect in my writing. Thanks, you were right! **

Ari was nestled in the familiar security of James' guest bedroom when she heard the first sounds of Port Royal falling to pieces

She sat cross-legged on the bed in the cozy little room, brushing out her brown tresses, when the first cannon shots screamed out. They exploded with no warning and seemed to echo in her pounding heart. Every muscle in Ari's body tensed and every sense sharpened as she heard how close the gunshots that followed were.

She obviously wasn't the only one who heard, because James was bursting onto the room in three seconds flat. His eyes were wide and his jaw clenched.

"Thank God, you're safe!" He breathed. A little relief softened his stony features as he pulled his best friend close. "That gunshot sounded close enough…you always keep that window open…" He attempted to nod at the guest room window, but neck movements were limited by Ari's head under his chin.

"I'm fine." Ari whispered into James' Navy coat. It smelled as new and official as the title he had been granted that afternoon. "But, James, what is happening?" She pulled back from the vice like grip of the commodore's arms to look him in the eye. Where most young women would have been frightened to death, Ari had a steady expression that was clearly demanding answers.

No sooner had the question escaped her lips when Lieutenant Groves rushed in. "Commodore Norrington! Pirates! They've come from – " Suddenly Groves looked mortified. "Er, pardon me, Miss."

Ari bit back a laugh. No longer hugging James, she remembered that she was clad in silver silk pajamas. Another explosion somewhere outside slapped the smile harshly off her face.

"Pirates." James uttered the word with more formidable disgust than Ari had ever heard in his voice before. "I have to go." He said darkly, turning back to her.

"I'm coming, too." Silver silk pajamas were hastily covered by a dirty charcoal coat that had been hung on the bedpost.

"Ariadne, I cannot allow you. These are filthy, unethical, rum-soaked –"

"Yes, I know what a pirate is, James."

"Then you see how this is no place for a lady, Miss Staraway." Groves interrupted.

The two men took advantage of Ari's speechless fury to make a hasty exit, James at least having the decency to offer a 'he-was-out-of-line,-but-this-is-for-the-best' look in the expressive eyes so out of place in his militant mask. The lock clicked behind them.

Not missing a beat, Ari turned on her heel and practically threw open the large window on the other side of the guest room. As she glanced back for one last look, she realized how she really never felt like a guest in that place. That little room, the entire house, really, was a second home. If she could really call anywhere home.

_You are always welcome here, Ari. My home is yours. _

Ari literally took a step back, suddenly overwhelmed by the force of her best friend's kind words echoing in her heart. Was she really going to do this? Betray the wishes of the man who locked the door for her own sake? Because he cared about her? Loved her?

"It's not like that, James." Ari whispered fervently to the empty room. "It's for _your_ sake. Because you're my brother, remember? And I'm your sister. We look out for each other. I love you to death, James, but I can do his. Trust me. And…forgive me."

Without another word, she swung herself swiftly out of the window and disappeared into the chaotic night.

Just as it sounded from her room, Port Royal was in tatters. Fire was everywhere. It cruelly devoured every sentiment or memory in its path. Deafening explosions from ship canons, guns, and who knows what else rang out. Take away the pirates that ran drunkenly, screaming as much with glee as everyone else was with terror, and it was the embodiment of a nightmare every child seems to have. The one where everything you've ever known is bursting into flame for no reason.

Ari sprinted through the crowds, trying to reach the point where the most violence seemed to be, because that's where she knew James would be. As official as he was, James undeniably liked a scrap. And now it was his duty, just as it was Ari's duty to fight alongside him. That was the mantra that fueled every flying kick or swift blow that met any pirate who tried to block her path.

James was locked in swordplay with two foul sailors at once. Seizing a sword from an unconscious man's hand, Ari was at his side in an instant. She fenced with grace and ferocity. James didn't notice until she had aggressively backed one of the pirates into the sea below.

"Ari! What on earth are you doing here? Back to safety, that's an order!" He yelled, not taking his eyes of his opponent.

"You know I don't take orders from you, James. If you really meant to exclude me from the adventure, you'd have locked the window."

James gave a small smile as he knocked out the man across him with the butt of his sword and turned to face her. "Nothing get's past you, does it, Miss Staraway?"

"Not much, Commodore."

Ari caught a glimpse of James face just shifting from grudgingly pleased to horrified and her name beginning to form on his lips before something hit her very hard on the back of her head and she fell to the ground.

When Ari awoke, she was back in the guest bedroom of James' home. _What happened? Why are my pajamas all dirty and bloody? Why does my head hurt? _She wondered.

Every ounce of exhaustion disappeared as she remembered the events of the previous night. Ari shot out of the bed, where someone must have laid her while she was unconscious, only to fall back onto the mattress again. Every bone and muscle in her body had screamed in protest, especially her head. As she ran a careful hand over her hair, she felt bandages, obviously done hastily. _James? Do I remember him bandaging my head?_ She tried hard to recall.

Ari's heart suddenly pounded with panic. James didn't do this. The last time she had seen him (if her half-conscious memory served correctly) was when he was carrying her through Port Royal. Port Royal that was being destroyed by pirates. Pirates that James was completely defenseless against if she was in his arms rather that a weapon.

"James!" she screamed hysterically, running through the halls of the house. She couldn't remember the last time she'd shrieked like that.

"Er, Miss Staraway?"

Ari whirled around to face a terrified - looking officer. The fright was explained when she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror: she looked completely crazed between the blood, filth, and wild look in her green eyes.

"What?!" Ari yelled at the poor man. She would have felt bad if she wasn't so preoccupied.

"C-Commodore Norrington isn't here, Miss."

"He's dead?" Ari felt faint.

"No! No, the Commodore's fine. He just isn't in the house. He's left for a word with Governor Swann. Early this morning, a couple hours after Commodore Norrington had rushed in with you knocked out in his arms, Lieutenant Groves came with an urgent message. He left about the time the doctor came to fix up your head."

Ari sank into a nearby chair. "Sir, would you mind terribly coming to that fact a bit sooner next time?" James. Not only was he alive, he had carried her here, stayed at her side for hours, and summoned a medic for her.

A thought struck Ari. James would have wanted to stay with her, to be the first face she saw when she awoke if this wasn't deadly important. That's why she initially feared the worst. "Why is the Commodore meeting with Swann?"

The officer paled. "You haven't heard, Miss? Elizabeth Swann's been kidnapped. By pirates. Commodore Norrington means to find a way to rescue her."

"I've just woken up, of course I hadn't heard! The pavilion, correct? That's where they're meeting?" Ari demanded. He nodded. "Thank you! My apologies for screaming your ears off!" She called, already running back down the hall to her room to dress.

She had, with a heavy heart, come to the realization that the time for secrecy was over if they were to get Elizabeth back.

"Do not make the mistake of thinking that you are the only man here who cares for Elizabeth." Commodore James Norrington said quietly to Will.

"Commodore," The voice belonged to Governor Swann. "Miss Staraway would like to speak to you."

James turned from Will. Ari stood next to Swann, hands nervously smoothing a long trench coat and eyes not meeting her friends. To his immense relief, she looked fine, if a little worse for wear and clearly distracted.

As he approached her, Ari patted her hair twice and placed her right hand on her hip: their secret signal for 'we need to talk.' Taking a quick inventory of their surroundings, James jerked his head toward the top of FortCharles. The same place he had proposed to Elizabeth the day before. Had he not been so preoccupied by Ari's obvious distress, he might have avoided a place associated with such a bittersweet memory.

The twosome strode away in the direction of their destination with neither words nor hesitation. James might have heard Governor Swann calling his name, but it sounded miles away, drowned out by Ari's voice in his head.

_James._

_What's wrong? Are you okay?_

_Decidedly not._

James inwardly marveled at their ability to read each other without even looking at each other. He just knew what she would say because he knew her so well. And he knew something was very wrong.

Still not looking James in the eye, Ari glided quickly and purposefully through crowds of people. She stayed just far enough ahead to prevent him from asking any questions; there were seconds where he lost sight of her entirely. In one of these instances, she did not reappear until he caught up at the top of the Fort.

Ari stood closer to the edge of the huge stones than she had ever before dared, staring out at the ocean with an expression riddled with suppressed emotion. After glancing around to ensure that they were alone, James hastened to her side.

"Ariadne Delphinia Staraway, _what_ troubles you?"

Ari half–winced, half–smiled at the use of her full name. "I won't beat around the bush, James. I have to go find Elizabeth. Alone." The tremor in her voice made it evident she had much more to say, but she paused to let that sink in.

"I know." James replied quietly. To his surprise, her statement hadn't shocked him at all. Remembering her fighting last night, he almost believed she could do it. Then, reality occurred to him. "But, Ari…you know I trust you're instincts…but you are just one twenty-five-year-old woman. You can't navigate the ocean and take down a pirate crew single-handedly. I…I cannot let you."

James was suddenly overwhelmed by images created cruelly by his imagination. Ari being stabbed to death, the light he loved so dearly leaving her eyes. Ari lost and starving on some deserted island. Ari sinking lifeless to the bottom of the ocean, somehow still beautiful and graceful in death. He sat down hard on a pile of rubble.

Ari sat beside him, still averting her eyes. James felt her body trembling beside him, even from a few inches away. She took a deep breath before she spoke.

"If any of those statements were true, I would agree with you." She finally looked up at him with an expression in her big green eyes that nearly broke his proper, strong, commodore heart in two. "But they aren't."

"I don't understand." James said, hardly daring to breathe.

"You will in a moment. And when you do, try to find it in your heart to forgive me. Please."

"What? Ari, you've yet to give me a reason to resent you since we've met. What of my statements being untrue?"

"First you said I was twenty-five."

"All these years of attempting to throw you surprise parties and you're telling me I got you're age wrong?" James said; he was a little serious, but mostly trying to get a smile out of Ari. It didn't work.

"James, I'm serious." Ari said in a voice softer than a whisper. "Tell me honestly, do I look a day older than when we met? Look at me."

James obeyed. She looked younger than usual, even though she had never really looked twenty-five. It hadn't troubled him until now. "Stage makeup." Ari whispered. "I usually make myself look older with it. But I didn't today. See?"

James turned away from her to look out at the horizon. He knew an audible answer wasn't necessary.

"I'm still seventeen. I've been seventeen for over a thousand years."

James couldn't breathe. The world was upside down and his feet couldn't find the stones beneath them. As a child, he had heard stories about people who never aged. But they had only ever been stories. Ari went on in a heartbrokenly determined way, as though she meant to say her piece and cast herself into the rocky waters below.

"Next you said I couldn't navigate the ocean. I'm kind of…one with the sea. The waves whisper to me. I have gills. And I know you saw my mermaid tail that day eight years ago when I rescued you. I can summon that at will."

James was terrified. Not that Ari had lost her mind, that he thought he might almost believe her.

"You…you said I couldn't overthrow a crew of pirates." Ari's voice shook now. "I have abilities, James. Abilities I don't fully understand. As much as it scares me, I don't doubt I'd find a way to bring Elizabeth home."

James just looked at Ari. She looked like she needed nothing more that his strong arms around her and a few words of comfort, yet he found he had never been more afraid of her. He was disgusted with himself for thinking it, but still he didn't touch her.

"Can you…summarize this?" He managed.

Ari laughed humorlessly. "Yes I imagine this is hard to process. Think of it this way. You know those figures in stories? Davy Jones and Calypso and Merlin? They all have some undefined supernatural ability, and they are all ageless. Like me. We don't have an official title or rules for our power – I find new bizarre things that I can do every day - , but we are _different_. And, as you've no doubt realized, real."

Silence screamed around them. Except for the whispers inside their heads.

_You think I'm bonkers._

_I know I should._

_But…?_

_But I don't. _

More silence.

"Do you believe me?" Ari finally asked softly.

"That you're an elderly, semi-aquatic immortal? Yes. It sounds quite insane, but I think I might have always known, deep down. What I really find unbelievable is that you never told me." James said, unable to keep the deep disappointment in her out of his voice. Ari surely knew the words were coming but he doubted that made them easier to hear. He watched them pierce her like the sharpest knives, adding to the pain already etched across her face. She buried her face in her hands

"I know." She said, parting her hands so that her word would not be muffled. "I hate that I kept it from you for so long. I did it to protect you, James. In my world more than any other, information is dangerous. Also…" she hesitated. "I was afraid that you would think I was a freak and ditch me. Not that any of these are excuses for lying to someone I care about very deeply." She looked up suddenly. "I really am _so _sorry."

"Sorry?" James echoed. "Eight years, Ariadne. Eight years you kept this secret. You lied to me about who you were. I _thought_ you were my best friend, practically my sister. Am I but another disposable companion to keep you company until you outlive me?" He turned away from the horrified look on Ari's face. In truth, he had horribly regretted the words the instant they were out of his mouth, but he didn't take them back.

"No." Ari choked out desperately. James could almost see the small part of her soul dying at him being angry with her. "No, I never lied about being your friend! That was the most real closeness I've felt towards another human being in a long, _long _time. I wanted to tell you from the moment I met you."

"But you didn't."

Pause.

"I know."

Silence.

Ari stood. She still hadn't shed a tear, but that was not for lack of grief. "I expect you'd rather not ever see me again. I understand. Just know that I _am _your friend. I'll be back with your fiancée, I promise."

She was gone when James turned around.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I tried to write without James, but somehow he snuck in there anyway. Trixy commodoreses! (Sorry for the LOTR reference) If you like it, please tell me! If you despise it passionately with every fiber of your being, please tell me nicely! My inbox gets lonely sometimes :(. Thanks for reading!**

Ari slipped through the dank shadows of the ever-intimidating prison of Port Royal, her bare feet making her unnaturally soundless. She determinedly ignored her emotionally shattered state to focus on her mission. Over a millennium on the Earth had toughened her up to the point of being little more than silently deadly, but the pure and childlike nature she was born with was most irritatingly coaxing tears from the deepest recesses of her heart, which ached as though it had been run through with a rusty dagger. But she did not let them slide down her freckled cheeks.

The voices of two men echoed down the dark, smelly corridor. Unable to distinguish words, Ari crept closer to the source. Suddenly, there was an earsplitting crash from a cell not too far away.

"Someone will have heard that," warned a voice that Ari recognized as Will Turner's. Not unusually, Ari's bright mind had come to the correct conclusion: Will intended to disregard orders and bargain with Captain Sparrow.

"As a matter of fact, someone _did _hear that. And she finds it most intriguing." Ari said calmly, stepping into a lone ray of sunlight from the barred window.

Despite her burdens, it was all Ari could do not to laugh aloud at the expression on Will's face. Obviously he hadn't thought through what he might say if he was caught. There really wasn't much he could say for himself; Jack Sparrow was being handed back his effects, the grated door of his cell popped of and placed to the side.

_Jack._

Ari hadn't spoken to him since he was a child, but she could never mistake the face eternally burned into her overcrowded memory. His dark eyes, exactly like his grandfather's, brought floods of flashbacks that Ari didn't have the time to deal with at the moment.

"This…isn't what it looks like." Will finally managed through his initial shock. Ari was jolted back to the present.

"Oh, is that so?" She replied smoothly. "Because it _looks like_ you're breaking Captain Sparrow here out of prison. And now it _looks like_ you two intend to set off on a spontaneously reckless mission to rescue Elizabeth Swann through any number of legally and morally questionable endeavors. Tell me now whether my eyes truly deceive me. I'm not a fool, surely you've realized that."

Jack raised his eyebrows in approval. "Sharp girl." He turned to Will. "Let's shoot her now and be off, savvy?"

Will stepped protectively in front of Ari, blocking her from Jack. He opened his mouth as if harsh words for the pirate were ready to leap off his tongue, but at that moment, the sound of voices and footsteps echoed down to them.

"Bugger." Jack muttered. Ari suddenly dropped to the dirty floor, frantically brushing off the moldy wood with her trench coat sleeves. As the cloud of dust cleared, an old trapdoor became visible.

"What are you…how did you know…?" Will began.

"Shut up!" Ari hissed. "_Ye are going to get in the bloody door in a general thatway direction, savvy?"_ She gestured at the floor about halfway through her possibly hilarious (under any different circumstance) and spot on impression of Jack's rough accent, mannerisms, and 'pirate talk.' It gave the impression of a teacher attempting to speak at a young child's captain looked indignant, but Ari was already racing toward the sound of the guards.

Just before reaching them, she took a moment to get in character. An innocently terrified look twisted her face as she rounded one final corner.

"PRISONER ESCAPE!" Ari screeched, followed by a seemingly uncontrollable scream that was actually a theatre trademark of hers. "That Johnson fellow! That way!" She waved half-hazardously in the opposite direction of the trapdoor. "Hurry and you can catch him, sirs!"

The two officers (the names _Murtogg _and _Mulleroy_ surfaced somewhere in Ari's mind) stood for a second in stunned silence. They suddenly snapped out of their dumbstruck trance and sprung into action, bumping repeatedly into each other as they scrambled back up the stairs. "Thank you, Miss!" one of them yelled back.

Ari swept swiftly back down the hall, shaking her head amusedly. _They weren't even bright enough to ask what I was doing down here in the first place. On the off chance that Johnson is a real person, he needn't worry._

When she reached them, Will was resealing the trapdoor and Jack was brushing cobwebs off his hat fussily. "The coast is clear." Ari informed them.

"Yes, we could hear you. No wonder everyone speaks so highly of your plays; you're quite the actress." Will said. "We are in your debt."

"Thank you. Then you must allow me to do you one more favor: I was about to go save dear Elizabeth alone, but it seems you gentlemen could use all the help you can get. It's not up for debate."

"Absolutely not!" Jack interjected.

"For once, I must agree with the pirate." Will added.

"I knew you would say that! You've already proven you need my help once today, and still you refuse me! Because I'm a woman?" For being smaller than either man, Ari looked invincible in the little wrath she possessed. Will was clearly terrified, and Jack seemed to be caught between fearing her and admiring her. But Ari wasn't done. "Does it not penetrate your thick skulls that I am trying to do what is best for Elizabeth? I know you care for her, Turner! I do to, so I'm trying to help! I've more experience than either of you, in ways that you would fall at my feet if you understood, so _swallow your bloody pride_!"

For the second time in ten minutes, Ari shocked two men into speechlessness. She took advantage of this pleasant silence to smile sweetly and loop one arm through Will's and the other through Jack's, suddenly formal. "Excellent, glad you agree. Shall we?"

The stunt that followed would, Ari told herself, become one of those stories she would tell her grandchildren, if she had any.

Considering he didn't want her along in the first place, Jack and Ari were like mad genius twins separated at birth. They perfected each other's ideas with the undefeatable combination of his daring wit and her warrior experience. Jack knew how work the air-bubble-in-the-canoe trick, and Ari masterminded the ship switch.

Not to say that Will was useless. In fact, Ari came to the realization that his sword work had the potential to equal of her centuries of training. Without any one member of the trio, none would have ended up where they did that evening: sailing, miles ahead of their officer pursuers, in the direction of Tortuga.

As the sun set magnificently over the ocean, much like a great eagle tucking its head under a wing to sleep, Jack gave the order to hit the hay. He swaggered of to his cabin, casting one last glance at Ari, as though trying to place her in his sea of memories. Sleeping in shifts would be pointless, as all three were necessary to sail the _Interceptor._

Ari was about to curl up right there under the stars, with the familiar rock of the ocean to lull her, when she saw that Will still stood at the starboard rail. She quietly stepped up next to him, at first unsure of what to say.

If Will noticed her, he gave no indication. She had shed her coat and now wore men's clothes: a loose white shirt was tucked into trousers belted at the waist.

"We are going to find her, Will. You know that, don't you?" Ari murmured.

"I hope so." Will said with a sigh. There was a pause in which it was comfort enough for both just to have someone else standing there, close enough that they could feel warmth radiating off the other. Finally, Will spoke again.

"What about you? I couldn't help but notice a very sorrowful girl playing the role of a defiant sailor today."

His concern smacked Ari, making her feel everything all over again. "Do you honestly want to know?" she asked frankly. Hurt made her numb to propriety.

"If it would lessen your burden to tell me. We may not be terribly close, but you are my friend. What is it?"

Ari considered how she could tell him. How the horrors of losing her first best friend in (literally) ages could be expressed, without spilling everything. She wasn't sure she could handle that all over again.

"Have you ever hidden something from someone you love? As in, something huge? Just not knowing how to tell them?"

Ari knew Will was thinking of his feelings for Elizabeth. He nodded as he stared out at the darkening horizon.

"I told him. Now he hates me. And the worst part is…I can't blame him." Ari whispered hollowly. Something about saying it out loud made it much too real.

"Commodore Norrington?" Will guessed.

"How did you…?"

"You two are so close, and you seemed rather upset when you asked to speak with him this morning. By the way, I don't believe I ever thanked you for interrupting like that; he looked as though he might run me through with my own sword." Ari didn't smile. "Actually" Will continued, "I thought you two would end up lovers until he proposed to Elizabeth."  
Momentarily forgetting her despair, Ari laughed. "Heavens, no! James and I are just…" she stopped short. "Well, I was going to say just friends, but that wouldn't be true. 'Friend' isn't the right word. But lover isn't either!" she quickly added. "We're like family." Ari smiled a moment before her face fell. "I'm still talking in the present tense. Can't do that anymore, can I?" she finished softly.

"I'm…I'm sorry." Will said awkwardly. Hesitantly, seeming to be asking whether it was safe to say more, he added, "It's terribly strange to see you, er…"

"What?"

"_Vulnerable_, if you don't plan on beating me to a pulp for saying so. I've always admired your usual strength; I suppose it never struck me that anything could break you."

"So you admire me less, now?"

"Not at all. It adds another layer to the mystery that vexes all: the elusive Ariadne Staraway." Will elbowed her playfully.

Ari laughed, feeling more thankful than ever for Will. This is why she and James had hit it off almost instantly: she loved anyone who could make her laugh in the darkest places. It brought light.

In return, she brought the mischievous edge back to her own voice. "So tell me, William, when were you planning on telling me that you've completely fallen for the dear Miss Swann that dragged us into this whole kerfuffle?" She laughed a little more at Will's would-be-indignant expression. "Don't be so surprised, I've been picturing your wedding for eight years."

After being quite taken aback by both Ari's perceptiveness and reckless boldness, Will shook his head. "As if it matters. She's the governor's daughter. It won't happen."

"Where there's a WILL…" Ari poked Will's muscled arm. "…there's a way. Forgive my corny joke." she said with a yawn. "I'm getting some sleep. Right here, actually, if you don't mind."

"Not in one of the extra cabins or crew hammocks?" Will asked.

"No, I don't wasn't to keep anyone up. I…" Ari hesitated. "I, er, have been told I sing in my sleep on occasion."

Will laughed, but not in a mocking way. More like a brother affectionately amused by his little sister's antics. He made for the crew quarters. "Sweet dreams, Ari."

"'Night, Will."

Ari snuggled down into her retrieved coat and mentally told herself that she had to sleep, expecting her haunted experiences to protest. Yet she found to her pleasant surprise that she was not worried, her trust in Will and Jack to look after her almost irrationally sound. Even so, Ari did what she always did to fall asleep in dangerous circumstances: let herself be consumed by the memory of a time she felt safe.

Such times were depressingly scarce for one who had seen so much action, so Ari scrolled through recent events. _I felt safe talking with Elizabeth at the promotion ceremony, because talking to her always takes my mind off things. I've felt safe since setting sail with a pirate and a hopelessly in love blacksmith. _That sent a fleeting smile across her lips. _That's just because I'm on the water. The sea is my friend. _

She had settled on a sweet few hours spent reading one of her favorite novels the other day when, just before sleep claimed her, her subconscious selected a new memory without consent from her. Ari fell asleep immersed in the time she had felt most secure in years, which happened to be when she was in the most danger.

Ari could feel James' strong arms holding her tight, his heart pounding against her barely-conscious, battle-torn body, and the steady jostle of running feet carrying her. She saw his multi-layered expression that was concern and determination and panic and devotion all together. The reek of smoky destruction and rum didn't matter, not then, because her freckled nose was buried in his coat, which smelled of shoe polish and '_I've got you_.'

_Oh, James…_ was Ari's last horrified thought before the darkness consumed her, _I never thanked you_.

That is why, fast asleep and alone on the deck of a stolen Navy ship in the dead of night, Ari did not sing in her sing through her slumber. Instead a single tear, the one she forbade to exist when she was awake, rolled down her trembling cheek.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Maybe an author note isn't neccessary, but I like talking to you guys. Sorry if Jack seems a little out of character. After a lot of thought, I decided that that was just Ari, she brings out a side of Jack rarely seen because of their deep-rooted connections. And he ****_did_**** make a promise...**

"I've seen the bloody lass before…_where_?" Jack Sparrow muttered to himself, throwing an arm over his eyes to block out any irritatingly bright rays of moonlight that gleamed through the windows of his cabin. For the past three hours he had been struggling unsuccessfully to either get some sleep or place Ari's familiar face. Normally things like this didn't bother him. But, for some reason, Ari was all he could see when he closed his eyes.

Any other girl Jack would have chalked up to rum-faded memories of those he'd loved and left in Tortuga. Except Ari wasn't like that at all; she had much less perfume and much more dignity than Scarlett, Giselle, etc. Her sailing skills were impressive enough to have once been a crewmember, but there were three significant things that nearly eliminated the probability of piracy: 1. she was a woman, and everyone knew that it was frightful bad luck to have a woman aboard. 2. She was religious. 3. She turned down Jack's offer of rum, saying she didn't drink.

What frustrated Jack was that Ari wasn't an easy person to forget. He found her beautiful, in a far more pure and natural way than most of the women that caught Jack's eye. She had an immensely powerful and experienced air that didn't fit the background story he was told. She was _funny_. She wasn't at all bad with a knife or sword, but made faces at guns, saying they were clumsy and overrated weapons. Nothing was forgettable.

_It was either a very long time ago, or I was very drunk. _Jack decided, closing his eyes. It was only after he was deeply asleep that an actual memory surfaced in the untamable ocean waves of his mind.

In Jack's dream, he was a baby. He was being cradled in the leathery flesh and hard arm muscles of his father, Captain Teague. They were on a ship; Jack could feel the rock of the sea. Along with his dad's face, there was Ari. She looked exactly as she did when Jack was waking, only much happier. When she spoke, it was with a light, whispering voice she obviously used only for children.

"Hey there, Jack. I guess I'm pretty much your Aunt Ari. You and I are going to be very good friends, I can already tell." She turned to Teague. "He looks like you, Captain. And even more like your father." Her big eyes were a little sad now.

"Aye, and he's well on his way to being just as much trouble. His mum and I have been awake for three days. " the old pirate grumbled fondly in his low, smooth voice. Ari laughed.

"Go get some rest. Jack and I will get to know each other for a while. I've got a lot on my mind, so sleep for me was out of the question anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course."

"If you need _anything_…"

"Excuse me, Teague, but are you insinuating I am unable to take care of myself and an infant?" Ari bristled with joke rage. Teague raised his hands in mock surrender before walking back below deck.

"Stand down, lass! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have questioned you."

"That's Miss Staraway to you. Or Lady Staraway, or Captain Staraway, or Master Staraway, or Professor Staraway, or Doctor Staraway…"

"I get it, Ari. You've done a lot, seen a lot, handled a lot. Thanks again for watching Jackie." Teague left.

Then, with just her and the baby Jack in her arms, Ari began to sing.

She sang quietly in a language that wasn't English (it was, in fact, a sea language that most men heard just before being dragged to the depths and eaten by a mermaid. But Ari changed the words to make it a lullaby of sorts). Even though he didn't understand, Jack instantly thought of gentle waves and sunrises and never growing old.

The ancient melody put him into a beautiful trance, where all that existed were him, his ocean, and his song that flowed like a spring from Ari's lips. His eyelids grew heavy, but he fought the exhaustion, terrified that he would fall asleep and not hear her singing anymore. As he finally closed his eyes, succumbing to sleep within a dream, the scene changed.

Now Jack dreamt that he was a small child, probably no more than five. He was standing on a dock, watching a crew prepare his father's ship for departure. It seemed a shame to leave the beautiful little island where they were.

Ari - as youthful as ever – sat a bit away with her back to him, dangling her bare feet off the dock. Even for a little kid, it was obvious she was upset. Rain slowly began to patter, as if Mother Nature felt her pain.

Jack felt his father's hand on his shoulder. "Poor girl." Teague murmured.

"Why's she sad?" Jack whispered back disconcertedly. Ari was never caught off guard.

"Oh, did the princess eat a poisoned apple? Excellent, I guess we're rid of her then as no one in their right mind would kiss her back to life." mocked a teenager Jack hadn't seen approach. Little Jack had never liked this older boy, with his arrogance and harsh gray eyes. And what was with this kid and apples? They seemed to work their way into his every quip.

"You're the princess, Hector. That girl is ten times the pirate you'll ever be. As to the kissing, don't think I haven't seen you staring at her. One of these days you're going to be slapped silly, boy." Teague retorted. Teenage Hector Barbossa flushed angrily, but was far too afraid of the captain to say anything. He skulked away.

Captain Teague returned to Jack's concerned inquiry. "This pretty old island is Ari's home, Poseidon. It's a good bit of her memories and her past. Some of those memories are good…and some aren't. Her life's more complicated than I can wrap my old head around, but I know our Ari's got more than her fair share of scars. This place reminds her, what with her mum and sister, her father's grave, traces of old enemies and old love...savvy?"

"Savvy."

They were both silent. A particularly violent lightning bolt smashed and convulsed in the distance. Jack watched Ari shiver, but somehow he didn't think it was from cold.

"Jackie?"

"Aye?"

"Ari looks like she could use a hug."

That last word hung awkwardly in the damp air, foreign to the tongue of a pirate. Young Jack knew his dad wasn't about to go comfort Ari, it was an idea he couldn't even picture. That left him. And his five-year-old sense of pride wasn't going down without a fight.

"Aw, Dad! I can't _hug _her! I'm a bloody pirate!"

After considering this seriously, a rare smile cut across Teague's scarred lips. "Ah, but you're thinking about this all wrong. That there is a damsel in distress. And is it not the duty of any noble, self-respectin' pirate to rescue and protect his distressin' damsel?"

Jack gave this a moment of deep contemplation. Finally deciding that this was logical enough, he nodded importantly. Then abandoned all pretense of dignity and bolted to Ari as fast as his short legs would carry him, throwing his arms around her slumped shoulders from behind.

Ari whipped her head instinctively around, but gave a small, genuine smile when she saw who it was. A little sun peeked shyly out from behind the clouds in the sky, and the rain became so soft it was more of a mist. "Hey," she giggled softly. "Shouldn't you be helping your father ready the ship?"

"He said to 'rescue and protect ye,' cause you're a 'damsel in distress.'" Jack answered proudly, puffing out his chest.

"That's right; you've got a whole five and a half years under your belt, don't you?" Ari returned Jack's hug rather tightly. "I think…I think that means it's time for me to go now. I wish I could stick around with you and your crew longer."

"What?" Jack said incredulously as he pulled back with wide eyes. "You're leaving? Forever?" He forgot that pirates weren't supposed to care.

"No! No not forever," Ari assured him. "It might be a while, but we _will_ see each other again someday, I just know it. Besides, I need a fearsome pirate to protect me, remember?" The tiniest shadow of truth laced her voice when she said that, even if she was humoring Jack at the time and was perfectly capable of protecting herself.

"I'll always protect ye, Ari. I promise." Jack vowed. The two friends spit into their palms and shook on it. The rain stopped and the sun shone its brightest since Jack had come to Poseidon.

Sitting together on that dock, little Jack took one last look at Ari. To his child's eyes, she looked pretty, even with her tangled hair and men's clothes and face that was less than enthralled, but not tearstained. He admired that.

"Ari?"

"Yes?"

"How are ye gonna get to wherever you're going?'

A mischievous grin played across Ari's features. "Sea turtles, mate."

As that scene clouded over, Jack's subconscious flicked quickly through short images of memories. Ari singing and playing guitar in Tortuga. Ari delivering a box of exotic roots to Tia Dalma. Ari's face glimpsed beneath a wave as his beloved _Pearl_glided smoothly through the sea.

Not stalking him. Not saying a word. But keeping her promise of seeing him again, even if he never gave her ageless face a second glance.

Jack awoke with a jolt. Before shaking the disoriented, just-woken brain fog, he formed one thought. One thought that filled his mind, leaving room for nothing else. One thought that was not very Jack-like: _I'm still protecting ye, Ari. Whether ye need it or not. _

Ari couldn't help it. The sea was calling to her when to no one else would. _Come on, Ariadne. _It whispered encouragingly. _ Come play with me. It's early. Jack and Will won't wake for hours. Jump in and sing to me. _It was too much to resist her identity, even if that identity had just torn her from her only friend. She was pulled from her sleeping position before the sun rose and into the sea. She was fantastically happy for a few precious hours. If only she hadn't lost track of time.

That is how Ari ended up being dragged back aboard the _Interceptor_ in a fishing net by Will.

"What…were you…_doing_?" He panted. Jack was attempting to pull the net off of Ari; apparently a life buoy hadn't been handy and they thought she had fallen overboard.

"I'm sorry. So sorry you had to find out about this. It was not your burden to bear." Ari lamented, reaching a hand out to her friends' faces through the net that was still tangled around her.

"What are you-" Will stopped short. Jack stopped fumbling with the net. They saw the tail at the exact same time. And the scales. And the gills.

"Ari, stand up."

"You know I can't, Will."

"Stand up. Now."

"Please don't make this any harder. I'm so sorry. Now you know my fishy little secret, everything's on the table." Ari pulled her hand back and shifted her position so that her faded emerald mermaid tail was no longer tucked beneath her.

Will couldn't speak, just recoil in horror. Ari closed her eyes. To her shock, she felt the net that cut into her being gently pulled off and replaced with a scratchy old blanket. Will was still keeping his distance, but someone warm and rum-smelling was wrapping brown wool around her shoulders. She tried to push herself into a sitting position, but her elbows gave out weakly (these limbs were not meant for land). Jack caught her firmly and busied himself rubbing warmth into the gooseflesh of her arms.

"Poor William, you are going to be eaten alive in Tortuga if this most loveliest creature disgusts you. It's just a little mermaid. Well, actually there's a lot more than the scales, but I'll let her tell the story." Jack murmured, more directed at Ari than Will. Ari looked hard into his unreadable dark eyes.

"You knew." It wasn't a question, at least not of whether he knew, but how.

"Yes, luv. To a degree." He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her upright. To mutual relief, she was not naked when her legs formed again, but a simple ivory gown formed with them.

"What story? How is it Jack knows everything?" Will said, at last finding his voice and stepping cautiously over.

"I'll just get this over with quick, so try to bear with me." Ari answered almost wearily. "I am part of a lineage that doesn't age. I have been seventeen for a thousand years, since the day my father died and I took up his place in the sort of supernatural order of things. No one really understands completely, I'm just going with the flow of whatever God has planned. If He gave me these gifts, it'll be something worthwhile. Does that make any sense? I'm a freak, but I must be a freak with a purpose."

There was an excruciating silence. Some people say silence screams around you. This silence was different. It was like being wrapped in a roll of cotton, unable to move or think or make a sound.

"You know, this is the third time I've had to explain this, and I've just realized something: it never gets any easier." Ari whispered. _Here it comes;_ she thought dully, _I'm horrible. I'm destined to do nothing but hurt and endanger. I'm no better than my enemies._

"If I can assume Norrington was one, who was the other besides us?" Will asked gently. He looked guilty about shrinking away from Ari like he had.

"What?"

"You said you've told this story three times. One - Commodore. Two – Jack and I. Who was three?"

"My father." Jack interrupted, answering for Ari. But she shook her head.

"I still don't know how you found out about all this, but no. Teague figured it out for himself, I didn't tell him. I'm glad he did though – your father was a good friend."

Will looked thoroughly bewildered with all of this, the only one unaware of these connections.

"Well then who was it?" Jack demanded much more harshly than he intended. He lowered his voice. "Ari, darlin', you don't have to answer that."

Ari smiled a smile that was more like a grimace. "Clever Jack, you must have already figured it out."

"If you would mind cluing me in?" Will cut in. But even as he spoke, the truth dawned on him. Ari hadn't ever said anything regarding this area, but as he considered it, he realized it to be true. Jack voiced his exact thoughts.

"You were someone's bonnie lass." Jack mused, looking startled, as though the idea had never occurred to him.

"To put it in piratical terms, yes. At the time I was quite sure that I was wonderfully, blissfully in love with a sailor who loved me just as much back. I was delusional. I suppose if I'm going to burden you with my secret, you may as well know the whole story. "

"What happened?" Jack didn't like having his curiosity at the mercy of another person, and he knew he was prying, but a sentence from the dream he had had a few nights ago was pestering him.

"He saw me, called me a freak, he ditched me, and…and that was that."

Silence. No one pressed for answers, even though everyone knew there was more to be told. Though the identity of this mysterious guy was only half of what Ari was withholding, she whispered it.

"Spence. His name was Spence…" she looked Jack suddenly in the eye, "…Sparrow. Your grandfather, Jack. I am eternally seventeen, and he was once young too. That's why I have to summon so much willpower to look into your eyes. They're _his_."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Wow, I haven't posted anything in forever, so my sincere apologies. Before I say anything else, I would like to credit Bain Sidhe with ****_so_**** much of the embodiment and ideas of this chapter (at least the good bits, any crap is mine). I could never have done it without you; you are such an inspiration! Anyway, reviews and PMs make me happy, flames do not, etc. etc. etc. Thanks for reading!**

Ari was relieved when she finally reached the cool sand on the beach of Tortuga, burying her toes in it as she folded her chilly arms and stared at the stars. She had tried selecting a crew with Jack and Will, she really had, but it was too much. The whistles and drunken catcalls, Jack trying to be all protective…and then Will had introduced her as 'a friend.' The word made her shiver as she remembered every friend she had ever had. All that was left of them was fading faces and scars as she mourned each of them every single day. That was the side of immortality no one understood.

Ari pictured James beside her to head off a stab of grief, naming constellations and poking fun at her chattering teeth. If she closed her eyes tightly enough, she imagined she could feel his familiar warmth at her side.

There it was again. Everything she had done since leaving she had imagined doing with James. How he would steady her hands as she struggled with difficult knots. The scathing, witty things he would have to say about Jack. It was so easy to just fit him in to the story of her life, because he belonged there. And she had thrown it away because she had been afraid. Fear had long since come to rule Ari's life, and she was disgusted with herself for it.

There, sinking down until she lay tranquilly on the beach, Ari laughed softly. She had these _abilities_, which was more than most could say, and yet they were incredibly limited when she thought about it. The immortal card was totally and completely useless at what mattered. She could breathe underwater and yet drowned in a hurricane of James Norrington.

Much like it had been with Spence Sparrow, and yet somehow not the same at all. Ari had never mentioned him to James, but found herself comparing the two incessantly. She had never compared her once-lover to Will, or Jack (much), or Elizabeth, or any other 'friend'. Why was he so different?

Her question was answered when the imaginary James beside her began to whisper in her ear, telling her truths that her mind couldn't piece together on its own. _I'm not Spence, and you aren't the same girl that fell in love with him anymore. _This mental substitute spoke not in words, but in a language that started with a gentle glow in Ari's heart, then somehow worked its way up to her brain and formed thoughts. _He left because you told him, because you shared a fragment of what completes you. He pushed it away. I let you go because you _didn't _tell me, and I had blown eight years in love with an Ari that wasn't whole. _He swept a strand of hair behind her ear with an imaginary finger, and Ari shivered with how real it felt.

That was when that scoundrel did something utterly shocking to Ari, even if it was a figment of her imagination. He tilted her chin up and kissed her. At first Ari dreamed it was like a fine, upstanding commodore; respectful, sweet, and hesitant. As she pictured more and more of James, trying to complete him in her mind's eye, he kissed her like a pirate. James Norrington, who wanted nothing more than to rid the world of pirates, would claim her, pick her up and twirl her, lock his perfect lips on hers in a way that dared the world to try to drag them down.

When Jack and Will found Ari, she was fast asleep on the sand, fingers seemingly entwined with a hand that wasn't there.

James tried hard to focus on his conversation with Governor Swann and not think too longingly of sleep. Sleep was good. Sleep relieved exhaustion and numbed stress and loss.

"Er, Commodore?" Swann's voice penetrated James' dull trance.

"Forgive me, Governor, what did you ask? My apologies, I'm afraid I'm…a bit distracted." He stammered quickly, berating himself. Swann only smiled sadly.

"No matter." He gave James a seemingly understanding look. "You are, no doubt, thinking of the woman you love?"

"Yes," James replied automatically; it was the truth. Then realized Swann was undoubtedly referring to his daughter. "Yes, I am terribly worried about Elizabeth. I hope my rescue endeavor is sufficient to bring her home." That was the truth, too. He loved Elizabeth, and desperately wanted her back home happy and safe. But the fact that his initial thought had been for another plagued his conscience.

"As do I, as do I. Well, I see no use in continuing this conversation. Let us not pretend either of our minds is not otherwise occupied."

"Thank you, Governor." James lingered at the pavilion where they had been speaking another hour after Swann left. Frowning, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the night-darkened ocean.

_My Ari is somewhere out there, dead for all I know. As is Elizabeth. _Once again, James was perturbed by the fact that his own fiancé was straying further from his attentions than she should be. And where was the 'his Ari' coming from? James was not a possessive individual, it was nothing like that, and she wasn't his anyway. Not his best friend, that is. Not anymore. Elizabeth. Elizabeth could be his, his society-match bride—that was what he always wanted.

Sighing, James tucked his hands into his pockets. His right fingers brushed something worn and papery. "What is this..." he murmured to himself, pulling out of his pocket a carefully folded sheet of parchment. As he unfolded it, he felt the air leave his lungs as though he had been doused in icy water. "I remember you," he whispered.

It was a drawing of Ari he had made one Sunday afternoon about a year ago when they had fled the theatre for a stroll on the beach. Ari had talked James into auditioning for a bit of Shakespeare, and just their luck they had been cast as the characters that finished the play with a grand, passionate kiss. They had still been kissing when another actor tapped Ari's shoulder to inform them that the curtain had been down for five minutes. Laughing softly as his finger carefully traced the old pen marks, James savored the memory for a moment. "We were terribly in-character, weren't we, Miss Staraway?"

_It had been a nightmare trying to get Ari to pose. "James, why do you want a drawing of me so badly? I'm nothing special to look at." she had laughed. _

_ "Ariadne Delphinia, enough self-deprecation." As much as it surprised some people, Ari really had more insecurities than she let on. It wasn't that they were unfounded—yes, her cheekbones were not sharp as daggers; yes, her posture was skewed by a curvy spine, flat feet, and skinny ankles; yes, her eyes were almost unnaturally large—it was just that James loved her enough to see past that. She would always be most beautiful to him. That's how his mind's eye captured her and reflected her in any description._

_ "Don't move." James had commanded. "Right there. Look at me like you just were." Ari had stuck her tongue out just to tease him. _

_James had painstakingly captured every flyaway hair, every freckle, and every dark fear or secret or fault that loomed behind her eyes. But he also drew her long eyelashes, her slender neck, and the pure light that emanated from her whenever they were together. The end result was a perfectly imperfect Ari with the sun setting dazzlingly behind her. _

_When he was finished, Ari had peeked over his shoulder. James was expecting some witty remark, but his friend was silent. James would never forget the sight of her long fingers reaching over his shoulder to gently touch the sketch. _

_"Do you…do you like it? I—I know you kind of have hair in your face, and there's sunburn on your nose, but that is, after all, how you look, and I think you look…"_

_"Oh my—James, I look _happy_." Ari had said it as thought unaccustomed to the idea. "And I look like myself. And I look …why do I look _beautiful_?"_

Mind back in the present, James leaned against a pavilion pillar and whispered his answer again as though Ari could hear him. "Because I think you are."

More than a year after that drawing, James realized something. Elizabeth _was_ a fine woman, but Ari was a magnificent one. Elizabeth had a wonderfully fiery spirit, but Ari was like a phoenix that rose out of her own ashes. It had never occurred to James, after all these years insisting that they were like siblings, that maybe he had been trying to convince himself.

James gazed at an especially bright star and made a rash, crazed promise. If he could only rescue Elizabeth, he would let her take the Dauntless back without him. He would jump out of that bloody ship and swim and swim and swim until he was reunited with Ari. Even if that meeting was after the icy hands of death had snatched them both. At least he would be with—oh, the thought was so sweet James mouthed it to feel the words on his tongue—the woman he was fantastically in love with.


	7. Chapter 7

"Jack, our crew is crap."

Jack turned to look at Ari as they stood out on the deck under the stars, eyebrows raised.

"How do ye conclude that, darlin'?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Look at them! They seem hopelessly incompetent!"

"Seem," Jack mused, pointing at Ari triumphantly, as though she had just proved his point, "Seeming, luv, is a funny ol' thing at times. I've found that what something seems can be the farthest from what it is,"

"Philosophical, Jack. Really inspired. But you must see that such misconceptions are not always the case," Ari said with a roll of her eyes. She was not short on philosophy herself, but was overwhelmed by the demand for a solid, reliable sense that she possessed none of. As though there was something usually constant and sensible that she had left in Port Royal.

"Ah, but it's enough! Take ye for instance. Ye did seem like a scrawny, reckless little lady when ye offered to help us on this grand adventure. Then ye seemed like some especially crazy but undeniably talented sailor just later that day. Then I had a most peculiar dream about ye, and saw ye 'gills and all' so to speak, at which point ye seemed like a tragic little mermaid with unlikely connections that I may or may or may not have wanted to protect. All of those seemings were, in fact, to a degree, WRONG. Or perhaps I ought to say they were all correct at the same time, but none the entire truth, the entire Ari. Who happens to be a prideful little imp, quite bossy, not very good at making friends, determinedly independent, and rather mad. But she also twists my brain into knots with her intelligence, has the capacity to love harder than anyone I've ever met, and has the rare gift of keeping Captain Jack Sparrow on his toes."

There was an undiluted silence that allowed for Ari to stare at him incredulously and he to bask in this bewilderment, grinning mischievously.

"This isn't about me. This is about the crew. And how screwed we are against Barbossa and his invulnerable pirate beasts!" Ari finally managed.

"Trifles," Jack said, throwing an arm playfully around her shoulders, "and it isn't as though it even matters. A bloody brilliant crew'd still be a bloody brilliant crew against immortal pirates. We play it by ear and take it as it comes,"

"Not very reassuring, but I suppose you're right in saying there's nothing to do about it. And take the arm away before I slice it off with a rusty dinner fork and imbed it in your colon," Ari said conversationally. Such colorful empty threats were just a part of their friendship.

"Is there something wrong between us, sweetheart? You've never revoked my affections before...on second thought, yes ye have. But not with such vivid imagination," Jack pretended to look wounded, hand over his heart and lip pouted.

Ari averted her eyes and flushed a little, grateful for the darkness of evening to hide it. "Maybe I've just been feeling especially creative lately,"

"Liar!"

"Am not!"

"Ye are too! Come on, luv, let's have the lucky fellow's name. Found ye like Tortuga for something, after all?" Jack's eyes glinted mockingly.

"IF any of these accusations were actually founded, it sure wouldn't be a drunk slob from that God-forsaken rock," Ari snapped.

"It's that officer, isn't it? Ah, I love weddings! Rum all around!" Jack practically sung.

"We're not getting married!" Ari whispered furiously, her cheeks redder than the drink Jack was magically producing from his coat.

"Why ever not?"

"Because attachment isn't something that happens for me, okay? I loved once, it worked out poorly!"

A silence hung in the air like a musty old cobweb, suffocating and ancient.

"Ye didn't tell me the whole story, did ye?" Jack asked quietly.

"No," Ari turned away, "but you deserve to know."

"Tell me,"

"Find out yourself,"

Ari was gone when Jack reached out to her, slipped over the rail of the ship and into the calmly sinister sea. Jack shook his head, muttering about bloody, self-important sea folk, and strutted back to his cabin.

He was about to sink down into his lumpy old chair and welcome sleep when something sparkled in his peripheral vision. A little glass box sat on his desk, almost too smudged and dirty to make out a deep black gas swirling in it. As Jack crossed the room to pick it up, a little piece of paper fluttered on the lid.

_Jack,_

_I knew you would eventually find this, so I saved your honor and stole it from myself for you. Not that you would ever ask my permission, but I have nothing to hide from you._

_-Ari_

"Because this is so much simpler than ye just telling me anything outright," Jack muttered. He handled the ice-cold glass box as though it was a partially-eaten dead fish. He tried to put it down, and came to a dulling realization that he couldn't. His hands, numb and uncontrolled, reached out to pry open the opaque lid.

The black gas rushed out, darkening everything and whipping through the air like a savage animal escaped from its cage. It slowly formed shapes in front of Jack, _human_ shapes. One tall, straight, and feminine, the other muscled and confident. The dark beings suddenly had faces, too gliding and unblemished to be real. One, he realized with a jolt was Ari. Her now solid-looking hand was entwined with the other figure-a figure that looked quite a bit like him. Spence. He was young and handsome, with brownish hair cut short and intoxicatingly dark eyes.

They strode on air around the room while gazing at each other lovingly, oblivious to Jack, who was too stunned to move or speak.

"Spence..." Ari's spector said, her voice sounding like it was calling and echoing from very far away, "Pray answer me something?"

"Anything, sweet child." Spence whispered back. He tilted his heat into hers until the ghostly couple's noses brushed.

"Do you love me?" It sounded a little childish; Jack could practically hear her heart pounding with the need to be relieved of any doubt. If these visions had hearts.

"Ariadne, I have told you on countless occasion of my adoration. Why must you ask?"

"It's just...I love you, too. But there cannot be anything resembling love without truth. They say the truth shall set one free. I'm ready for this freedom." Ari's huge eyes gleamed with the purest belief that everything was about to be okay. In one swift fragment, she did her best to explain herself, finishing by saying, "Spence, I had to share with you the piece of my identity I had yet withheld. I have...talents. Talents some consider unnatural or evil. I'm not evil, Spence. You know that. And now we can spent our lives together for eternity!" Ari's voice pleaded joy, her face misted over as though with visions of such a future. She trusted the man before her with her deepest fragility, confident that he would love her to a whole new level in this knowledge. Her ignorance was cruelly short-lived.

"You...you're a...a _witch_," Spence breathed flatly. He scrambled back from his lover, turning away. Ari looked as though a rock had just smashed through the window she dared to open the steel shutters of.

"I'm not a witch. I-I'm not, it isn't-" her voice shook as she stammered.

"Devil! Get away from me!" Spence roared unexpectedly.

"Spence...?" Ari's voice cracked. She took several stumbling steps towards Spence, hands reached out for the arms she was so obviously familiar with.

"Don't dare touch me, perversion of nature!" Spence yelped. He struck Ari away with such brutality that Jack tried helplessly to stop him, but his hands went right through as thought the figures were nothing more than fog. Ari's small frame smashed against a tree trunk that had materialized, crumpling to the ground. She wobbled as she slid back to her feet, a gash visible on her left cheekbone and one shoulder bent at a slightly wrong angle.

"I thought...together..."

"You thought I could love such a creature as yourself? I wish I could banish the memories of this siren who manipulated me!" Spence yelled. The sound reverberated off the walls of Jack's cabin, but no crew came to investigate.

Ari looked her once-lover in the eye, and she seemed to resign herself to something. "If that is truly what you wish," she whispered. Before Jack had a chance to ponder the meaning of this, Ari was pressing her lips into Spence's, one last time. As she kissed him, she inhaled deeply, causing his struggles against this affection to cease. She breathed in air tainted with something invisible, seemingly the sharpness in Spence's eyes as they became clouded and disconcerted, like he forgot where he was. It was as though all of the moisture in his body was being sucked out, and now pooled in Ari's eyes. She pulled back finally, laying a single finger on his cheek.

"I wish you joys as numerous as sand grains on the shore," she murmured. She ran away, dissolving back into black gas. Spence disappeared much the same way, but not before giving an absent, confused look and one last bewildered question,

"Do...do I know her?"


End file.
